Kudos to the mayorThanks, Mayor Eaton, for your letter to the editor this Saturday morning, Nov. 15. I wished you had written it before the election. We all should be so conscientious before we pull that lever for a candidate. Regretting that I didn’t ask you why your were not running because I thought you had done a fantastic job, am I to assume the pressure from the behind the scenes power-brokers was too much? The one time I had called your office you had re...

Be an informed voterIn the recent General Election, voters of Russellville chose between three candidates, and the result is a run-off between Councilman Randy Horton and former Mayor Tyrone Williamson. The old adage, “be an informed voter,” cannot be over-emphasized at this point. What voters should do is inquire about the records of the two candidates. Ask questions about what the two accomplished during their term in office. Were there any incidents during eit...

ElectionI don’t think that the sweeping change was so much about party affiliation as it was the values of the people of Arkansas. I think local political parties across the country are going to have to sculpt an agenda that is closer to those of their local people rather than embrace a national platform that is abhorrent to their constituency, as it was this go around. Arkansas has a rich history with the Democratic party but not with the ideals expr...

Veterans honored at Fall FestOn Saturday, Oct. 24, Fall Fest was held in downtown Russellville. The weather was very nice and a variety of vendors, information and display booths lined the streets. I was honored to be invited to lead the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag during the opening ceremony. Thank you Betsy McGuire. As I returned to the Marine Corps League booth (Lake Dardanelle Detachment No. 1310), I became very aware of the number of hats and shirts that display...

Reader Feedback: Arkansas Minimum Wage InitiativeHere are the results from a website poll on the proposed Arkansas Minimum Wage Initiative on the November general elction ballot. couriernews.com online polls are not intended to be a scientific sample of local or national opinion. Instead, they are a way for readers to share their views on the news with The Courier and fellow website users.

A strong national defenseI believe nothing is more important to our national defense than the welfare of military families. As with any organization, business, civic, etc., the personnel (which includes family) are always identified as that organization’s greatest asset. However, the leadership of those entities do not always put their money where their mouth is. Hardware and other things often take precedence for continually shrinking funds. Current pending sequestra...

Support for Plains and Eastern Clean Line ProjectAs one of Arkansas’ largest heavy industrial infrastructure contractors, we would like to express support for the Plains and Eastern Clean Line Project. This transmission project benefits Arkansas by creating new jobs, stimulating economic development, diversifying Arkansas electrical generation mix and improving system reliability. Low-cost electricity has been a major driver of economic development in Arkansas and the region, supporting the ...

Re-elect Alderman Mark TrippI would like to thank Alderman Mark Tripp, a true asset to our community, for his well-served time on our Russellville City Council and encourage fellow Russellville residents to re-elect him to his current position. He has a giving heart and is equally giving of his time, making himself readily available to serve our community with integrity and honesty. Many times I have contacted Mark Tripp regarding issues large and small, and no matter th...

Local optionIt is interesting that all the ads concerning “local rights” are 99 percent paid for by the liquor stores in “wet counties,” trying to save citizens from the horror of being able to buy beer or liquor locally and take it home to consume. (It is fine with them as long as we drive to where they are and bring it home, though.) They are saying you are going to have liquor stores next to schools and churches. I’m not an expert on business but two t...

Deborah DeJohnette for City CouncilDeborah DeJohnette has been a resident of Russellville for over 20 years, and now she is a candidate for City Council in Ward 4 Position 2. She is dedicated to serving her community and the citizens of Russellville. Her top goals include addressing the concerns of her community, bringing jobs to Russellville and working with the leaders of Russellville to do what’s best for its citizens. I hope you will read her Q&A in The Courier and consider...

Get out and votePlease exercise your right to vote! Our forefathers, parents, grandparents and countless military men and women have sacrificed to insure our freedom and right to vote and choose who will lead us forward to provide for our future, better health and welfare for all. We owe it to our predecessors, our children and the future for our grandchildren to vote and then support whichever candidates are elected. We all need to try to work together and e...

Issue 4Recently an ad against Issue 4 included a claim that if the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Initiative is passed, counties would have “no choice” regarding alcohol sales. I found this ironic, as those against the issue want to take away the choice of people to shop locally. I looked online at the details of the proposal. According to the website, the “Arkansas General Assembly would be tasked with regulating the manufacture, sale distribution and ...

Jazz AmbassadorsFirst let me say thank you for being one of the sponsors that helped to bring the United States Army’s Jazz Ambassadors to Russellville and the Center for the Arts this past Saturday evening. It was quite an enjoyable evening of jazz music, featuring selections from the past 100 years of jazz, which included numbers composed by Count Basie, Glen Miller, Leonard Bernstein and even a New Orleans Dixieland compilation that had everyone’s toes tap...

Response to Mr. Hurtado of Clean LineWith all due respect to Mr. Hurtado, let’s not sugar coat what the private company, Clean Line Energy Partners, LLC, is trying to do in our community: obtain the power of federal eminent domain authority via Section 1222 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to build what has been referred to as “the largest transmission line in America” north of Dover. They are seeking federal eminent domain because our own Arkansas Public Services Commission reje...

A vote for HortonI recently emailed several mayoral candidates with questions regarding three specific issues Russellville faces (or has faced). I requested a response so that I could “be an informed voter.” I already know that all candidates are for progress, health of the community,and happy babies. Mr. Horton’s response lad to an exchange of an additional four emails. While we did not agree with everything (which is as it should be) the result was a reasona...

Consider Issue No. 4I am writing to encourage Arkansans to research proposed Issue No. 4, entitled “Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Initiative,” which will be decided with the Nov. 4 election. The primary supporter of this initiative is an organization called Let Arkansas Decide. Their group might more aptly be named “Let the populated areas of Arkansas Decide for the entire state.” This initiative, if approved, will permit sales of alcoholic beverages throughout the...

Clean Line respondsI would like the opportunity to address recent comments made regarding the Plains & Eastern Clean Line transmission project. We are developing the project in a collaborative, methodical and transparent manner. The Plains & Eastern Clean Line electric transmission line project will deliver wind energy from the Oklahoma Panhandle, where it is abundant and inexpensive, to Arkansas and other states in the Mid-South and Southeast. The project’s mor...

Response to Allen on Plains and Eastern Clean LineI am responding to the letter by Dr. Bob Allen regarding the Plains and Eastern Clean Line electrical transmission line. Will any of Dr. Allen’s property be affected by these lines? Is that why it is easy for him to say how little affect this will have on Arkansas? Only 8,000 acres he said. Has he looked at the route maps? There are people’s homes within those routes. Only a 200-foot-wide right-of-way, he said. That is comparable to another in...

No transmission lineThe Arkansans that I have spoken to do not want Plains and Eastern Overhead High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Transmission Towers running across their property nor on their neighbors. Bob Allen stated the 200-foot-wide right-of-way easements have a relatively small footprint because they are direct current. It’s only 8,000 acres of actual land taken out of service across Arkansas, and much of that is grazing and hay fields, which are essentia...